Wallace Loves the Bright Lights

CLEMSON— For Clemson safety K’Von Wallace, the bright lights and a sold-out group of Wolfpack fans that will fill Carter-Finley Stadium, home of the NC State Wolfpack, Saturday night are not the least bit intimidating for him or his teammates.

In fact, the Tigers love heading on the road in hostile environments because they love to see the stands empty and the fans go quiet.

“I feel like it makes me play better when the crowd and the lights are on—I feel like it brings the best out of me. All of us love going on the road and shutting a team down,” Wallace said. “Like I said, just making…quieting a crowd. It just gives us a little edge and it means a little bit more that we can go on the road and still come out with a victory and be the best team on that field.”

Part of his confidence comes from the belief that the Tigers defense, that he is a part of, is the best defense in the country.

“I feel like we have the best defense in the country and I’ve said that before the season even started,” Wallace said. “Just having those guys back up front it pretty fun. Just having them going and shutting down whatever they have to shut down and doing what they have to do. It’s easy and fun at the same time because we get our job done and they get their job done.”

The Tiger defense will have their opportunity to prove that they are one of the best in the nation in front of a nationally televised audience Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC).

But the secret to the Tigers having a great night, and coming away with another victory over an SEC opponent, will be to keep calm and play hard.

"Just stay calm as much as possible. When we're on defense it's quiet anyways,” Wallace said. “Just go out there and communicate and make sure that everyone is lined up right. Get our keys, read our keys. And, just taking what they give us. Don't get discouraged if they make a big play because they will make a big play. Just continue to play hard and know that whatever field we go on is our field.”

This will not be the first big-game road trip for the Tigers, in fact playing in primetime games is something the Tigers should be used to, having played in front of more than 100,000 fans at Texas A&M and in front of more than 85,000 at Florida State in previous years.

But for Wallace, the loudest environment, and the site of his best game, was not at either of those sites or in primetime. In fact, it is where the Tigers will play this week.

"I'd say the NC State game. Not because of the big plays I made - it was just the crowd they had and the fight that team had all the way towards the end,” Wallace said. “Basically, how all the fans stayed towards the end of the game because they didn't know who was gonna win. Just that environment - making the crowd be quiet and stuff like that - it was fun.”